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FEBRUARY 20 AND 21, 2016
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Spreading Positivity
O N E
By Jessie Wagoner
[email protected]
Three Emporia State University students are on a mission — a
mission of spreading positivity. In
a world that can often times feel
overwhelming Alyssa Grissom,
Courtney Romero and Fran Opheim are sharing words of encouragement via YouTube.
“It was Alyssa’s idea to start the
YouTube channel,” Romero said.
“She is just like a shining light to
people, just giving them encouragement.”
V I D E O
AT
A
T I M E
That encouragement started
online when the girls were in high
school. They would visit Tumblr sites and see people struggling with self harm and suicidal
thoughts. Grissom quickly became
known as the person to reach out
to and Romero says she was always
willing to share a positive message. That desire to help grew into
making positive videos to share on
YouTube.
The videos cover a variety of
Please see YouTube, Page 3
KENDRA JOHNSON/GAZETTE
Fran Opheim and Alyssa Grissom film their “Words of
Encouragement” video in their dorm room. Opheim and Grissom
are on screen, while Courtney Romero films and edits the videos.
KENDRA JOHNSON/GAZETTE
Fran Opheim and Alyssa Grissom laugh as Courtney Romero gets a phone ready to film their next
“Words of Encouragement” video.
ADMINISTRATION HOPES TRAFFIC CHANGE
EASES CONGESTION AT EMS
By John Robinson
[email protected]
Karen Madrigal arrives early to
pick up her granddaughter from
Emporia Middle School. It was a
lesson she learned the hard way.
“If you don’t get here early
you’re out there waiting on the
main street forever to get in,” Madrigal said. “You can’t go anywhere,
cars are passing you on the left and
you’re stuck there because traffic
isn’t moving.”
Clara Ortega agrees, saying she
picks up her grandson from EMS
every day. She had only one word
to describe the traffic.
“It’s bad,” she said. “There’s
traffic coming and going, and there
are kids crossing the street that
you have to watch out for. You just
have to be careful.”
It’s a problem school officials
are well aware of, and will change
the flow of traffic starting on Monday in an attempt to fix the problem.
“We’re trying to make things
safer for the students,” said Shelby
Harvel, transportation director for
Emporia Public Schools. “We’re all
aware that there’s some traffic congestion … between the high school
the middle school and even some
Timmerman traffic in there.”
The change moves student
pickup to the rear of EMS. Parents will enter from 24th Avenue
to pick students up from the back
of the school, before exiting onto
Graphic Arts Road. Buses will be
AREA
SCHOOL
DISTRICTS
RECEIVE
LEADERSHIP
GRANT
By Jessie Wagoner
[email protected]
COURTESY PHOTO
A map detailing the changes to dropping off and picking up students at Emporia Middle School.
Parents will now enter at 24th Avenue to drop students off at the back before exiting onto Graphic
Arts Road. School officials hope the change will lead to less traffic congestion.
staged at the front of the school.
“The hope is, by moving the
parent traffic to the back drive,
it will give parents more room to
queue up and allow the traffic on
Graphic Arts to keep moving,”
Good Evening
Harvel said. “It’s still going to be activities.
“Our 4:30 shuttle will continue
busy, but hopefully the flow will be
to pick up at the back,” she said.
moving.”
According to Harvel, the chang- “But that’s a time when there’s lites will not affect buses which take
Please see Traffic, Page 3
students home from after-school
Good news was plentiful for
area school districts on Friday
morning. Southern Lyon County USD 252, Emporia Public
Schools USD 253 and North Lyon County USD 251 were awarded the Leadership Transformation Grant through the Kansas
Leadership Center.
“We are excited to inform
you that Souther Lyon County
USD 252, Emporia USD 253 and
North Lyon County USD 251
have been granted the Leadership Transformation Grant,”
Thomas Stanley with the Kansas Leadership Center said. “You
and your organization will have
access to $50,000 worth of leadership training in 2016. We hope
this catalyzes your progress
around the leadership challenges
in your schools.”
The three districts, which
regularly collaborate, will share
the $50,000 award. The $50,000
VOL. 124, NO. 199
Be the change you wish to see in the world. —Ghandi
Please see Grant, Page 3